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LG is a company better known for phones than cell phone accessories, but that should begin to change as the Korean company continues to release some very attractive handset accoutrements. The HBM-550 is the latest in the line of Bluetooth headsets from LG, and it appears to match the LG Chocolate phones in terms of style. The LG HBM-550 is available for about $80.

As we mentioned, the LG HBM-550 follows the LG Chocolate closely in style and design. It has a glossy black front and is very compact, measuring only 0.74x1.61x0.65 inches and weighing in at only 0.42 ounce. The multifunction button may feel a little flat to the surface of the headset, but there is a slight groove around it, making it easy to find by feel. It also yielded easily to pressure. On the left spine is the volume rocker, while the charger jack rests on top of the device. The volume rocker was easy to press, even when the headset was worn on the ear.

Instead of a large earpiece, the headset simply has a slight bump on its back, which rests gently against the ear and makes for a very comfortable fit. The rest of the body has a silver finish, while the ear loop is comprised of a black rubbery material with a chrome-finish plastic base. The comfortable ear loop fits on either ear, and it can rotate up to 360 degrees.

Features of the headset are pretty basic. They include answering and rejecting calls, and support for voice dialing, call waiting, last number redial, and call transfer between the headset and cell phone.

We paired the HBM-550 with a T-Mobile Sidekick 3 as well as the Motorola Slvr L7e , and it worked flawlessly. Call quality was decent--callers could hear us just fine, though we found them a little faint at times. In quiet environments, this was perfectly acceptable, but in noisier environments, we had to maximize the volume in order to hear.

Nicole Lee is a senior associate editor for CNET, covering cell phones, Bluetooth headsets, and all things mobile. She's also a fan of comic books, video games, and of course, shiny gadgets.
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